This exercise will test your ability to recall and recreate sounds in your mind. This stretches the part of the brain where audio is stored. Close your eyes and try to hear the following sounds:
1. Your favorite song
2. A stapler stapling some paper
3. Fingernails on a chalkboard
4. A toilet flushing
5. A babbling brook
How well did you do at reproducing those sounds in your head? With practice, you'll get better at imagining sounds.
If you like this exercise, try Mental Audio I and Mental Audio II.
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When you learn a fact, there are many associations that are learned along with it. The more associations you have for a particular fact, the more likely you are to remember it because each association acts like a cue to remember the original information. You can use this idea to help you remember something that is on the tip of your tongue. Try to recall everything that is related to the idea. Chances are that something you DO remember will lead you to what you DON'T. For example, if you are trying to remember an actor's name, try to name all the movies that he has been in and all of his costars. It's very possible that in doing this, the name will just pop into your head.
The context of where and how you learned a piece of information is also stored in your memory. If you are trying to remember something that your math teacher taught you in class, try to picture the class and the circumstances surrounding the time when you learned it. This might cue your memory.
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Who Robbed the Bank?
The angry chief of police did roar,
"Who robbed the bank out of you four?"
When Al was asked, he said right then,
"The thief was Ben! The thief was Ben!"
Ben said to the policin' man,
"The thief was Dan! The thief was Dan!"
When Carl was questioned, he exclaimed,
"I'm not the one who should be blamed!"
When Dan was questioned, he replied,
"When Ben said it was me, he lied!"
If three of four suspects speak true,
And one speaks false, then who oh who?
And what if only one was frank?
But most of all, who robbed the bank?
Check Braingle.com for the answer.
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pique
noun :: A cotton fabric, figured in the loom, -- used as a dress goods for women and children, and for vestings, etc.
noun :: A feeling of hurt, vexation, or resentment, awakened by a social slight or injury; irritation of the feelings, as through wounded pride; stinging vexation.
verb :: To wound the pride of; to sting; to nettle; to irritate; to fret; to offend; to excite to anger.
verb :: To provoke; arouse:
"The movie preview piqued my curiosity."
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This exercise comes from the book Conceptual Blockbusting by James L. Adams and relates to the idea of stereotyping.
Find someone that you do not know very well to help you do this exercise. Taking turns, say a label that describes you (blonde, student, carpenter, mother, chocoholic, married, etc). Avoid small talk and avoid having a conversation about each label. Just state your label and then continue. It will get difficult to come up with labels after the first few, but keep going for at least five minutes.
This exercise will demonstrate how you label yourself. Notice how each label is a stereotype. People stereotype themselves and others all the time. Without being able to qualify your labels with conversation, you are allowing the other person to stereotype you. How did your stereotypes affect your understanding of the other person? For example, if they said that they were a "marathon runner," what preconceived qualities would you instantly place onto them? Recognizing that you are constantly stereotyping things will allow you to look beyond these labels when necessary.
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As with most skills, practice improves your performance. Unfortunately, simply practicing by memorizing long lists over and over is not going to improve your ability to remember. There is no "mental muscle" that you are making stronger. However, if you practice memorizing using mnemonic techniques such as acronyms or pegwords, you will get better at using these techniques, which will improve your ability to remember.
In other words, you cannot improve your inherent memory ability through practice, but you can improve your skill at certain memory techniques that make learning more efficient.
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Limeriddle 7 - Let Me Show You The Way
Belonging to a creature with claws curled
I can lead you to the top of the world
Of a ladle I'm part
On a mariner's chart
Prominent on a black canopy pearled
What am I?
Check Braingle.com for the answer.
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Ultimate Greek Mythology
Gods and goddesses, Olympians and Titans, hideous beasts, sea gods, war gods, and much more had many adventures. Can you prove your love for Greek Mythology? Take the Quiz at Braingle.com
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rak-ish
adj. :: Having a saucy appearance indicative of speed and dash.
"A tricorn trimmed with gold lace was set at a rakish angle over a wig of white curls that dropped down to his waist." -- Collodi, Carlo
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